Tag: reading

As with 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, the end of 2017 means it’s time for my end of year Reading Wrap-Up. This year has had its fair share of ups and downs, both generally and in terms of my reading. I’ve read a few great books (mostly YA) and I’ve read a few that I was thoroughly disappointed by; regardless, here is my year in books.

Aims for 2017
– Read 52 books √
I read 52 exactly (100%)
– Complete the 2017 Reading Challenge
Unsurprisingly I didn’t complete this one. I completed 38/52 challenges (73%), which is an improvement on last year.
– Read five novels on the BBC Big Read list
This challenge completely fell by the wayside this year, so much so that I genuinely forgot that I had set this as one of my 2017 reading goals. However, by complete chance I did read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and the first novel in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, so I completed 1.33 of my intended five books.
– Read five 2017 releases √
I read thirteen (260%)
– Read fifteen new-to-you authors √
I read 38 (253%)
– Listen to five audiobooks √
I listened to 14 (280%)
– Keep track of reading habits in journal√
More or less. This started off wonderfully, but tailed off towards the end of the year. I’m still counting it though.

Facts and Figures 2017Highest scoring novel – TIE: They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera & This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada (9/10)
Lowest scoring novel – TIE: It’s All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliott, Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller & Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (3/10)
Most books read in a calendar month – 10 in December
Most books read by one author – 3 by Sarah Crossan
Total pages read – 17,283
Total books read – 52

Best In Books1. Best book you read in 2017?They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera – a wonderful, heartbreaking YA novel that will stay with me for a long time

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t?Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by J.K. Rowling – I love the movie, but reading the script was a disappointing experience

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2017?This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada – I picked up this ARC at YALC and absolutely didn’t expect to find a book to rival The Hunger Games

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did) in 2017?
I didn’t push any books this year, as I don’t actually like people reading my favourite books in fear that they won’t like them. Saying that, my Granny read several of the books I read and reviewed this year.

5. Best series you started in 2017?The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – I have high expectations from these amazing characters

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2017?
Adam Silvera – although I only read one book by him, I’m super excited to read his previous two books after the massive reading success of They Both Die At The End

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?Don Juan by Lord Byron – I don’t read poetry often, and this was a definite chore

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven – I read this incredible debut (out 2018) amazingly quickly; it was a stunning, thought-provoking read

9. Book you read in 2017 that you are most likely to re-read next year?Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur – I rarely re-read books within a few years, but this collection of poetry was beautiful and is something that I could just dip into

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2017?The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James – it’s stunning

11. Most memorable character of 2017?
Lyra Belacqua (Northern Lights by Philip Pullman) – she’s smart and brave, and fights for what she believes in

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?Moonrise by Sarah Crossan – I love Sarah Crossan’s writing style, and this novel written in free verse was beautiful

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2017?Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig – this memoir is full of life-affirming advice

14. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2017 to finally read?The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – I did try reading it a few times as a child, but it’s taken me until now to actually finish it

15. Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2017?
“I came to believe that if something can be imagined it must be possible.” (Nod by Adrian Barnes)

17. Book that shocked you the most?Goodnight, Boy by Nikki Sheehan – this novel written in free verse made my jaw drop on more than one occasion; it’s certainly got trigger warnings for abuse

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!)?
Rufus Emeterio & Mateo Torres (They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera) – beautiful individuals, wonderful relationship

19. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year?
Bob and William Trundle (The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher) – this father/son relationship was wonderful to read about

20. Favourite book you read in 2017 from an author you’ve read previously?The Visitor by Lee Child – I always have a great time reading Jack Reacher’s adventures

21. Best book you read in 2017 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else?Our Song by Dani Atkins – thank you to my good friend Heather for this wonderful recommendation, I loved it and cried buckets

23. Best 2017 debut you read?This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada – I absolutely wasn’t expecting to love this book, but it was an incredible, detailed YA read

24. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year?The Martian by Andy Weir – somehow being stranded on Mars was immensely vivid

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt – as a regular comic-con/book con attendee, this book encapsulated my love of all things geeky

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2017?We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan – somehow Sarah’s beautiful writing always messes with my emotions

27. Hidden gem of the year?Our Song by Dani Atkins – I wasn’t expecting to love it anywhere near as much as I did; a real surprise

28. Book that crushed your soul?They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera – I. Was. A. Mess.

29. Most unique book you read in 2017?The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan – a love story told in dictionary definitions? I wouldn’t have believed it to be possible, but here’s all the proof you need

30. Book that made you the most mad?Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller – I hated this book. It was weird, and the plot-twist was horrific

Looking Ahead1. One book you didn’t get to in 2017 but will be your number 1 priority in 2018?The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – I thought about this question for ages, but I recently decided not to push myself in terms of numbers in 2018; instead I want to read some books I’ve been putting off for far too long, and re-read some old favourites (this comes into the latter category)

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2018 (non-debut)?Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp – I loved This Is Where It Ends, so I have high hopes for her next book

3. 2018 debut you are most anticipating?Everless by Sara Holland – I heard about this book at YALC (though sadly didn’t snag a review copy)

4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2018?
Enjoy it! After all, that is the most important thing.

My 2017 Reading Challenge, is definitely off to a strong start! I read another five books this month, with genres spanning YA, thriller, contemporary and sci-fi; I guess being off work sick has some advantages.

February whizzed by in the blink of an eye, and here we are once again for another (less extensive than usual) book haul. I actually only bought eleven books, as two were gifts, which is relatively frugal for me. Just look how pretty they are…

Most excited to read:1. All About Mia by Lisa Williamson2. History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera3. Heartlessby Marissa Meyer

A few of the books I purchased this month are in series I’ve yet to begin, so I guess I now have double the reason to crack on with reading certain books!

For more content, visit @charlottebibliophile on Goodreads, Instagram and YouTube

Based upon my target of 52 books for the 2017 Reading Challenge, I made a solid start in January, consuming five books (on track for 60 in 2017). Especially interesting is that I read from a variety of genres: YA contemporary (x2), memoir, screenplay and adult contemporary. Yay for diverse reading!

A twelfth of the way through 2017 already, how did that happen? As with any month (of any year), I accumulated some wonderful books – including four signed copies – that I am incredibly excited to read.

As with 2013, 2014 and 2015, the end of 2016 means it’s time for my end of year Reading Wrap-Up. In some ways, this reading year was more relaxed than 2015 (a target of 41 books, as opposed to 52), but I also had a lot of required reading to do for my MA, which included a number of heavy and detailed volumes that I wouldn’t have necessarily read for pleasure.

Aims for 2016
– Read 41 books √
I managed to read 42 books (102%)
– Complete the 2016 Reading Challenge
Yeah, this one was always going to be tough: I completed 24/40 challenges (60%). Ultimately, I failed, but it was quite early on in the year that I decided to read largely for pleasure (and my MA English compulsory books) and as a result, many of the criteria fell by the wayside.
– Read five novels on the BBC Big Read list
Another fail: I read three (60%), two of which were for my MA.
– Read three 2016 releases √
I read ten (333%)
– Read ten new-to-you authors √
I read 28 (280%)

Author

Title

BBC Rated

My Rating

Date Read

Pages

Albertalli, Becky

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

8

Jan-16

303

Bronte, Charlotte

Jane Eyre

10

6

Jan-16

542

Burr, Tanya

Love, Tanya

4

Apr-16

304

Butler, Marcus

Hello Life!

6

Mar-16

256

Campbell, Jen

Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops

7

May-16

119

Coetzee, J.M.

Foe

7

Apr-16

157

Collins, Suzanne

Mockingjay

8

Jan-16

390

Crossan, Sarah

One

8

Sep-16

434

Dahl, Roald

Matilda

74

6

Sep-16

240

Daniels, Dr. Benjamin

Confessions Of A GP

7

Aug-16

327

Defoe, Daniel

Robinson Crusoe

5

Jun-16

373

Flynn, Gillian

The Grownup

7

Apr-16

67

Gino, Alex

George

7

Mar-16

215

Gomes, N.D.

Dear Charlie

6

Oct-16

222

Hayes, Terry

I Am Pilgrim

9

Mar-16

888

Kerman, Piper

Orange Is The New Black

7

Oct-16

344

Kipling, Rudyard

Kim

159

3

Oct-16

263

Levithan, David

Every Day

6

Feb-16

371

Lu, Marie

Legend

7

Aug-16

295

Maroh, Julie

Blue is the Warmest Color

6

Mar-16

156

Matson, Morgan

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour

6

Apr-16

343

Milton, John

Paradise Lost

3

Sep-16

511

Moran, Caitlin

How To Be A Woman

6

May-16

312

Morgan, Kass

The 100

8

Aug-16

323

Morgan, Kass

Day 21

8

Sep-16

311

Moyes, Jojo

Me Before You

8

Apr-16

481

Ness, Patrick

A Monster Calls

7

Nov-16

214

Nijkamp, Marieke

This Is Where It Ends

9

Jan-16

282

Peters, Julie Anne

Keeping You a Secret

7

May-16

256

Pratt, Non

Unboxed

7

Dec-16

139

Rhys, Jean

Wide Sargasso Sea

4

Jan-16

171

Rosin, Lindsey

Cherry

6

Sep-16

390

Rowell, Rainbow

Eleanor & Park

6

Feb-16

328

Rowell, Rainbow

Kindred Spirits

7

Apr-16

62

Rowling, J.K.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

7

Aug-16

343

Rowling, J.K.

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide

7

Sep-16

79

Rowling, J.K.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies

5

Sep-16

68

Rowling, J.K.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists

5

Sep-16

63

Rowling, J.K.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

7

Sep-16

766

Shakespeare, William

Coriolanus

3

Mar-16

315

Sutcliffe, Lucy

Girl Hearts Girl

6

Dec-16

273

Yoon, Nicola

Everything, Everything

8

Sep-16

310

Facts and Figures 2016Highest scoring novel – TIE: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes & This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (9/10)
Lowest scoring novel – TIE: Coriolanus by William Shakespeare, Kim by Rudyard Kipling & Paradise Lost by John Milton (3/10)
Most books read in a calendar month – 10 in September
Most books read by one author – 5 by J.K. Rowling
Total pages read – 12,606
Total books read – 42

Best In Books1. Best book you read in 2016?I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes – an outstanding piece of craftsmanship

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t?Love, Tanya by Tanya Burr – it tried to be too many things, and in the end wasn’t anything

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2016?The 100 by Kass Morgan – I didn’t expect to find a new series I’d become obsessed with

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did) in 2016?Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – I made my Granny read it, then my Mum (who is currently part-way through it)

5. Best series you started in 2016?The 100 by Kass Morgan – incredible characters, fabulous world building

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2016?
Kass Morgan – I read two books by her this year, and plan to read the next two in 2017

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?Confessions Of A GP by Dr. Benjamin Daniels – I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but these amusing anecdotes were fabulous

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?Unboxed by Non Pratt – I read it in one sitting and shed a tear at the end

9. Book you read in 2016 that you are most likely to re-read next year?George by Alex Gino – I rarely re-read books within a few years, but this one was so cute and important I may well do

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2016?Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling – it’s just so intriguing

11. Most memorable character of 2016?
Clarke Griffin (The 100 by Kass Morgan) – she’s badass, smart and true to herself

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – the writing was gorgeously creative

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2016?George by Alex Gino – this story of a transgender child will stay with me forever

14. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2016 to finally read?Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – I can’t actually believe I, as an English student, didn’t read this book until I was 22

15. Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2016?
“Life is a gift. Don’t forget to live it.” (Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon)

17. Book that shocked you the most?I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes – I think it was the plain and simple fact that the entire plot was so well constructed that it could be believable and that is terrifying

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!)?
Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling) – I have discovered a new love for Scorbus

19. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year?
Matilda Wormwood and Miss Honey (Matilda by Roald Dahl) – I love that the pair have a profound connection and care for each other implicitly

20. Favourite book you read in 2016 from an author you’ve read previously?Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops by Jen Campbell – I read the sequel last year (wrong way around, I know) and I love them both

21. Best book you read in 2016 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else?Blue Is The Warmest Colour by Julie Maroh – I saw a number of YouTuber’s recommending this graphic novel and I really enjoyed it

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?
Clarke Griffin (The 100 by Kass Morgan) – both on the page and the screen

23. Best 2016 debut you read?This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp – a school shooting in a small town in America, multiple perspectives as the attack is unfolding, LGBT characters: I loved it

24. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year?I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes – simply incredible settings all over the globe

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson – pure, unrivalled fun

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2016?A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – I actually took a selfie afterwards, I was in such a mess

27. Hidden gem of the year?Foe by J.M. Coetzee – I definitely didn’t expect to enjoy a book for my MA so much

28. Book that crushed your soul?Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – I love the characters and this book was emotional from the word go

29. Most unique book you read in 2016?Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys – it was so incredibly strange

30. Book that made you the most mad?Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman – some of the facts quoted about the US prison system were astonishing and ridiculous

Looking Ahead1. One book you didn’t get to in 2016 but will be your number 1 priority in 2017?Don Juan by Lord Byron – my final compulsory MA book, I need to dedicate a large portion of the early part of the year to this volume

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2017 (non-debut)?A Court of Wing and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas – I didn’t get around to reading A Court of Mist and Fury in 2o16, but at least I won’t have much of a wait between the two now

3. 2017 debut you are most anticipating?Wing Jones by Katherine Webber – I heard about this novel at YALC and I want to finally get my hands on it

4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2017?
BookTube – I said it last year, but it wasn’t the right time (plus I’m very awkward in front of the camera). Maybe next year will be the right time?!

This is it: the end of the year and the 2016 Reading Challenge, and it has whizzed by! I finished 2016 the same way I started it, with YA, which unsurprisingly has been at the forefront of my year in books. I guess we’ll see if 2017 follows a similar theme: watch this space…

December is always a manic month, including in terms of the number of books I accumulate. Between my birthday and Christmas, I always receive a plethora of new reading material (and the odd gift voucher too): this year, a wonderful collection of 40 books found their way into my possession in December!!

Most excited to read:1. Everything Leads To You by Nina Lacour2. The Miseducation Of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth3. Monstersby Emerald Fennell

Most excited to own:
1. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy: A Trilogy In Five Parts by Douglas Adams
2. The Fate Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen3. Small Great Thingsby Jodi Picoult

For more content, visit @charlottebibliophile on Goodreads, Instagram and YouTube

Everything seems to have halted lately, including my reading. I only read one (thankfully very good) book this month for the 2016 Reading Challenge: perhaps it affected me so deeply on an emotional level that it hindered my ability to digest further prose, but I expect that I’m just suffering from end of year exhaustion.

November’s book haul may appear ridiculous, what with multiple copies of the same book, but I got them for such a good deal that I couldn’t resist! I’m actually proud of myself that I restricted my buying to such a degree, but with my birthday and Christmas around the corner, I figured I might well end up with a magnificent haul in December.

Most excited to read:1. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by J.K. Rowling2. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer3. The Sun Is Also A Starby Nicola Yoon

Most excited to own:
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Slipcase Edition by J.K. Rowling
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by J.K. Rowling3. A Torch Against The Nightby Sabaa Tahir (signed 1/1)

For more content, visit @charlottebibliophile on Goodreads, Instagram and YouTube